Viking jewelry
The Vikings wore jewelry not only for beauty, but also to showcase their wealth. Therefore, most often they were of a simple form and by their weight it was easy to determine the cost of the product. For a service or product, they could pay off with a piece of jewelry, chopping it into pieces.
In those days, when buttons had not yet come into use, the Vikings actively used brooches, pins and buckles as fasteners. And some simply sewed clothes on a daily basis at the sleeves and collars. The straps of women’s sundresses were fixed with two brooches. A shawl was thrown over the shoulders of the woman, which was also pinned with a brooch.
Sundresses were tied with a belt on which they carried a bunch of keys – this was a symbol of the power of the mistress of the house. On their necks, women wore several strands of silver or gold beads. Historical sources mention green ceramic beads
Noble people used wide metal belts, made up of several moving parts. They were adorned with beautiful buckles, gems and animal teeth.
Rings, earrings, bracelets, head and neck hoops were worn by both men and women. The pendants were made in the form of pagan or Christian symbols, one of which was the hammer of Thor. This symbol was used by warriors who needed luck and strength. In addition to religious amulets, the Vikings made jewelry, the main elements of which were images of plants, animals, geometric figures and heroes of myths.
The Vikings fixed the cloak on the right shoulder with a brooch made in the form of a horseshoe. They were often used to store wealth and could weigh up to a kilogram. A pin for such a decoration could reach a length of 0.5 meters.
Most of the jewelry of that time was made of silver, but archaeologists also found gold brooches, torcs and hoops. For example, on the island of Zealand, a gold necklace weighing almost two kilograms was discovered. Ordinary people wore tin and bronze jewelry.
Viking jewelry was created by casting. The metal was poured into handmade wax molds. Then the molds were broken, and the metal blank was polished. In the manufacture of jewelry, gilding or blackening was used; inserts could be made of amber, beads or bone.
